African Nuclear-Weapon Free Zone Treaty (Pelindaba Treaty)

Full Text: http://www.state.gov/www/global/arms/treaties/afrinwfz.html

The treaty creates a nuclear weapon free zone comprising the territory of Africa, including territorial seas, archipelagic waters and the airspace above them as well as the sea bed and soil beneath of the continent of Africa, the island states and all islands considered by the Organization of African Unity to be part of Africa. The treaty prohibits research, development, production, acquisition, assistance, control, or testing of nuclear devices and encouragement of those acts. It also mandates reversal of nuclear capabilities and adherence to IAEA physical protection procedures. The armed attack of nuclear installations is prohibited.

Signed April 11, 1996. Twenty-eight parties needed for entry into force.

Parties that signed on April 11, 1996 and year of ratification: Algeria (1997), Angola, Benin, Botswana (1999), Burkina Faso (1998), Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire (1999), Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia (1996), Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya (2001), Lesotho, Liberia (1996), Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Malawi, Mali (1999), Mauritania (1998), Mauritius (1996), Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa (1998), Sudan, Swaziland, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania (1998), Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe (1998). France, China, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States have signed the necessary protocols. Only France (1997), the United Kingdom (2000), and China (1996) have ratified them. Spain has not signed its protocol.